Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

Mayawati Means to Immortalize

Posted : July 2, 2009 at 6:23 pm [IST]

I had been requesting my friend Arora to plan a visit to Lucknow. Let me tell you it is not for seeing the old monuments this time. I have a desire to see the memorials that Mayawati has built causing so much of controversy. I wish also to find out if it has been done beautifully to give enjoyment to the visitors. Somehow the row of elephants appearing in media hardly appears impressive. For seeing the beauty of elephants, I recommend visiting Akshardham Templenear Noida that has some 1000 elephants sculpted in different panels.

It appears to be a war between Mayawati and media. This time the issue relates to the expenses on building the memorials and 46 huge and costly statutes of Dalit icons, of her mentor and of her own. She doesn’t even want to follow the norm that prohibits raising statue when he or she is alive. According to one report, ‘construction in Lucknow alone is to cost Rs 2,681cr, plus Rs 270cr in maintenance’. Noida is also getting one memorial.

Here are some questions:

Will the project serve the dalits, the majority in BPL in any manner?
Couldn’t she use this huge money for educating the boys and girls of dalits in the best schools bearing all their expenditure to ensure their bright future?
Will these memorials make her or her mentors immortals?
Can’t one day a person more whimsical than her bulldoze all the statues and memorials as it has happened in past?

Now the Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court have also asked Mayawati to explain installation of her statues. Interestingly none of the big political parties raised any noise against these projects earlier. Either they were afraid to annoy her or they were scared of hurting the dalit vote banks. Very lately, some politicians from Congress including Chidambaram have made some noises, but Mayawati doesn’t wish to budge.

But I and many must have another query. Why is she being blamed for perpetuating her legacy? Congress and its sycophants have kept on doing the same by naming the maximum number of programmes, projects, institutions, places, and perhaps everything after the Nehru and Gandhi (Indira and Not Mahatma). The latest addition in the huge list is the Badra-Worli Sea Link. Sarad Pawar got it named after Rajiv Gandhi to please Sonia. Is that not unethical for perpetuating the name of the family? Why can’t the country come out with a consensual way to decide the name to avoid heartburns?

Why is Mayawati so insensitive to these objections? Why can’t she go by the judiciary that is getting headed today by a dalit? Does she consider herself above the established norms? Mayawati has different reason. According to her, she is creating the places of pilgrimage for Dalit saints and sadhus and for “mental empowerment” of Dalits.

And Mayawati perhaps will never listen to the advice unless she knows that it will cost her election.
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PS: Monumental Mistake

- Indra

Category: Indian politics |